# Eclipse, Aug. 21, 2017: how long was totality where I was?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-aug-21-2017-how-long-was-totality-where-i-was/794397>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 22, 2017, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-aug-21-2017-how-long-was-totality-where-i-was/794397 "2017-08-22T19:50:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-aug-21-2017-how-long-was-totality-where-i-was/794397/1 "2017-08-22T19:50:50Z")

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I was in Prairie Home, MO for the eclipse. Totality seemed to last less than a minute there. How can I find out how long it actually lasted?

J.

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**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-aug-21-2017-how-long-was-totality-where-i-was/794397/2 "2017-08-22T20:02:49Z")

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[This site](http://www.eclipse2017.org/2017/communities/states/MO/Prairie%20Home_816.htm) says 2 minutes and 36 seconds.

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**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-aug-21-2017-how-long-was-totality-where-i-was/794397/3 "2017-08-22T20:14:51Z")

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> [@SpoilerVirgin](#):
>
> [This site](http://www.eclipse2017.org/2017/communities/states/MO/Prairie%20Home_816.htm) says 2 minutes and 36 seconds.

Yeah, and that’s really hard to believe. It seemed to be over so fast. This reinforces the fact that our perception of time is so relative.

Thanks,  
J.

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**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-aug-21-2017-how-long-was-totality-where-i-was/794397/4 "2017-08-22T20:16:31Z")

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Hmm. [This](http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/SolarEclipseCalc_Diagram.html) online calculator claims an extra 3 seconds, or nearly 2m38s, if one takes into account the lunar limb profile.